1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a device for simultaneously ejecting two fluids, in particular two pyrotechnic fluids, which react on contact after such ejection, said device including:
first and second sealed reservoirs for the first and second of said fluids, respectively, the first and second reservoirs being mutually isolated to prevent contact between the first and second fluids, PA1 first and second ejector nozzles for the first and second fluids, respectively, PA1 first and second sealed conduits respectively connecting the first nozzle to the first reservoir and the second nozzle to the second reservoir and mutually isolated to prevent contact between the two fluids, PA1 means operable to simultaneously expel the first and second fluids from the first and second reservoirs to the first and second nozzles via the first and second conduits. PA1 first and second sealed reservoirs for the first and second of said fluids, respectively, the first and second reservoirs being mutually isolated to prevent contact between the first and second fluids, PA1 first and second ejector nozzles for the first and second fluids, respectively, PA1 first and second sealed conduits respectively connecting the first nozzle to the first reservoir and the second nozzle to the second reservoir and mutually isolated to prevent contact between the two fluids, and PA1 means operable to expel the first and second fluids simultaneously from the first and second reservoirs to the first and second nozzles via the first and second conduits, PA1 in which device said first and second reservoirs comprise first and second coaxial cylinders closed at the end which is the downstream end with reference to a common axial direction by a respective end wall into which the first conduit or the second conduit respectively opens, and the means for simultaneously expelling the first and second fluids include first and second pistons adapted to slide axially in at least said direction inside the first and second cylinders, respectively, and closing the first and second cylinders, respectively, at the upstream end with reference to said direction, the second piston being mechanically coupled to the first piston so that sliding of the first piston in said direction inside the first cylinder causes sliding of the second piston in said direction inside the second cylinder, and means for causing sliding of the first piston in said direction inside the first cylinder.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A device of this kind is described in Canadian patent application No 2 027 254, for example; it is in the form of an infrared flare using pressurized oxygen and a pyrophoric liquid as the first and second fluids, respectively, the pyrophoric liquid igniting spontaneously on mixing with said oxygen after ejection to cause the required infrared emission.
In these prior art devices the first reservoir is a pressurized oxygen reservoir and opening of a valve firstly ejects the pressurized oxygen into the surrounding air via the first conduit and the first nozzle and secondly introduces the pressurized oxygen into the second reservoir containing the pyrophoric liquid, not directly but through the intermediary of a flexible bladder opening onto the second conduit. As it crushes this bladder the oxygen introduced into the second reservoir expels the pyrophoric liquid from the latter via the second conduit and the second nozzle with the result that the oxygen and the pyrophoric liquid are ejected simultaneously and are mixed and react only externally of the device.
The pressure of the oxygen in the first reservoir naturally varies considerably as the oxygen is ejected. This pressure conditions the distribution of the oxygen between the second reservoir, where it serves to expel the pyrophoric liquid, and the first conduit, on leaving which it serves as the agent oxidizing the pyrophoric liquid. It also conditions the pressure and rate of ejection of the pyrophoric liquid and the oxygen, with the result that the infrared emission from a device of this kind is entirely random and highly unstable with time.
Similar problems would occur if this prior art device were to be used to eject simultaneously two fluids, in particular two pyrotechnic fluids, other than those described but also intended to react on contact after ejection, the random nature of ejection making the reaction itself random, especially in time.